Journal & Courier Purdue insider Nathan Baird on how the Boilermakers, playing as Team USA, needed a strong test from a FIBA opponent prior to the World University Games.
Nathan Baird/Journal & Courier

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue's two exhibition victories as Team USA over Canada this weekend followed a similar storyline.

In Friday's victory at Carmel — and again in Saturday's 103-91 overtime win at Lafayette Jeff's Crawley Center — the Boilermakers muddled into the fourth quarter. Yet in the most crucial stretches of the game, Purdue summoned some of its best offensive and defensive moments.

Purdue leaves Sunday for the World University Games in Chinese Taipei, where it will attempt to refine its performance while carrying over that clutch mentality.

"Coach (Matt) Painter has told us it's going to take a gold medal mentality to get us to the gold medal round," said senior center Isaac Haas, whose and-one late in regulation forced overtime.

"But the thing we've got to work on is maintaining that mentality throughout the entire game. There were times we'd make some great plays when we had that mentality, then we'd slack off."

Vincent Edwards scored 25 points on 11 of 17 shooting with eight rebounds. After sitting his starters for a long stretch of the first half, Painter rode them throughout the second.

Purdue shot well on the free throw line, poorly from 3-point range and leaves for Taiwan with real concerns about turnovers after committing 36 in two games.

Four takeaways from Saturday's game:

On the boards: One of Purdue's biggest questions coming into the season is how it replaces the sheer rebounding volume of Caleb "Biggie" Swanigan.

Defensive rebounding was a factor Saturday. Canada grabbed 16 offensive rebounds. Two came on crucial second-chance baskets in the final six minutes as Purdue attempted to rally. Another didn't result in a basket but allowed Canada to cut nearly 45 seconds off the clock with under three minutes to play.

Canada won second-chance points 20-15.

"We've got to do a better job," Vincent Edwards said. "We're trying to out-jump everybody instead of hitting first. Now that we've got some athleticism we're trying to rely on it a little too much."

Big man: With 1:14 left in the third quarter, Haas tried to wave off Painter's attempt to substitute for him. Painter pointed to the scoreboard, then held up four fingers. Haas, with four fouls, had to sit.

It was the second straight game in which Haas' efficiency was undermined by foul trouble. Jacquil Taylor continued to play confidently defensively — he blocked four shots in both games — and somewhat hesitantly offensively in relief. The junior, playing his first games since the 2016 Big Ten tournament, was one of the brightest spots in the weekend series.

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The Boilermakers again pulled out victory late in their final warm-up for the World University Games.
Nathan Baird/Journal & Courier

Haas was, however, on the court when it mattered most. Trailing by 3 with 30.5 seconds to play, Purdue ran a play out of timeout to get Haas a post look. He scored on a hook shot, drew the foul, and made the game-tying free throw with 25.3 seconds left in regulation.

Haas finished with 17 points on 7 of 9 shooting with nine rebounds in 24 minutes.

Shooting slump: Not having Haas on the floor for long stretches took away a near-automatic post option. That loomed large when the Boilermakers never got on track from the perimeter.

Purdue missed 10 of its last 11 going into halftime and carried those struggles into the second half. With seven minutes to play, it was 4 of 25 (16 percent) from 3. Carsen Edwards had made 1 of 6, and Dakota Mathias and Ryan Cline were a combined 0-for-6.

Shortly after, Cline finally broke the drought to pull Purdue within four points. Thompson followed with a 3 to beat the shot clock and cut the deficit to 75-72 with 5:24 left.

The biggest 3 came at the start of regulation, from Mathias, The Boilermakers made 3 of their last 4 from behind the arc.

Purdue shot 28.6 percent from 3 at Carmel on Friday night. It simply has too many good shooters to stay in that slump, if you'd call it that, all month.

Bench minutes: As it did Friday night in Carmel, Purdue slumped in the second half. One culprit was the 1-for-9 shooting performance from 3-point range. However, Painter also stayed with his subs for much of that period.

Painter remarked after Friday's game that many of the newcomers and reserves didn't get much of a chance to play. Playing eight games in 12 days, the Boilermakers will need depth in Taiwan.

The only starter who didn't end up playing 30 minutes or more was Haas. Eden Ewing and Grady Eifert did not play in the second half.

"I'm not trying to get a good lineup out there, I'm just trying to get people minutes," Painter said of the lineup combinations in the first half.